force,-muft neceffarily accord with the feelings of every man who hears me, and who rejoices with his Sovereign in announcing the glories of this aufpicious day-For who is there among any defcription of His Majefty's fubjects who does not feel that this is indeed a proud day for his country? Who is there who does not exult in the conviction that no Monarch who ever fat on that Throne has ever had fuch an opportunity of giving and receiving congratulations from his faithful people, faithful to him and to themselves, emerging with fplendour from those difficulties with which they have been fo long furrounded, and reaping the fruits of their steady perfeverance in a juft and righteous caufe? Who is there, I fay, who does not feel his own perfonal pride gratified in the triumphs of His Majefty's arms with which the remoteft fhores of the world refound, proclaiming their own deliverance and protection, and hailing the matchless prowefs of the British navy? Under thefe impreffions, and certain, at least, that my fubject will be grateful to my hearers, I fhall proceed with much fatisfaction to a confideration of the different topics of His Majesty's speech, on which the addrefs I fhall have the honour to move will be founded and although on former occafions it may fometimes have been objected, with reason, that the address has been too much the echo of the fpeech, on this I am perfuaded I fhall moft effectually enfure your unanimous approbation and concurrence by adhering as clofely as poffible both to the letter and the spirit of His Majesty's gracious communication. On fuch a theme, it may almost be said that words can never be wanted to exprefs the feelings which it naturally inspires, and that "Dicendi caufa talis oblata eft, in quâ oratio nemini deeffe poteft.

I do not feel it neceffary in this place to dwell long on the general fubject contained in the opening of the fpeech; perfuaded, as I am, that every man muft agree cordially with His Majefty, that the fucceffes of his arms have been great and glorious, and have materially conduced to the honour and profperity of our country: and I fhall pass on rapidly to that great event which demands our firft and warmeft congratulations, in which I am fure the hearts of every one of your Lordthips have anticipated me,-the fplendid and important victory obtained by the fleet under the command of Lord Nelfon at the mouth of the Nile. This event is fo tranfcendent in its nature, fo eminently brilliant and decifive in its execution, and fo important in its confequences, that much as it has already been celebrated by the united voice of the British empire, and of the whole world itself, I feel it is a topic that can never fatiate or difquict; and that on this first public opportunity of defcanting on

its merits, I fhould do as little justice to the feelings of the House as to my own, if I fhould forbear to bestow on it my full, though inadequate tribute of admiration and applaufe. The other navaltriumphs which have diftinguished the annals of the prefent war, unrivaled as they have been in the history of this or any other nation, are yet in fome points peculiar to this great atchievement, eclipfed by its fuperior luftre, while, in another point of view, it may be faid to have added additional fplendor to them, by filling up the little that was wanting to complete the measure of our naval fame. For in this inftance, at leaft, no fuperiority of feamanship or manœuvering on our part, no want of every poffible advantage of force and preparation against attack, on the part of the enemy, can be alledged by them as a palliation of the most complete and signal overthrow that any defcription of force has ever received by fea of land. It has proved beyond the poffibility of difpute, that to fuch officers and to fuch men, actuated by no motive but that of their own and their country's glory, combining the most confummate fkill with the moft matchlefs intrepidity, the fteady coolness of the most prudent caution with the apparent temerity of the most romantic enterprize, the rigid reftraints of difcipline with perfect confidence in chiefs whom they adored, and led to battle by a man whofe name will be recorded among the greateft commanders that the world has ever produced, nothing is impoffible; and that such qualities as these united in a British fleet are absolutely irresistible. In fhort, my Lords, (left I fhould be led away by fo copious and pleasing a subject, on the one head, to trespass too long on your patience, and, on the other, appear to hazard the vain attempt of illuftrating by the pomp of words an achievement to which no words can do adequate justice,) I shall fum up every thing that can be faid on the subject in an affertion which I make with confidencethat the exploits performed by the British fleet on the first of last Auguft, is unparalleled in the hiftory of any age or country. For on what occafion have fo many different glories distinguished any one action by fea or land? When has fuch dauntless intrepidity appeared in any attack, fuch fteady valour in any conteft? When has the destruction of the enemy, of whatever defcription, been fo total and fo complete ? When have courage, conduct, piety, and modesty been so ftrikingly displayed in the leader; fubordination, unanimity, and intrépidity, in thofe he led to glory? When, finally, have fo many important confequences rafulted from any one event? This last confideration would naturally lead me to another part of my fubject, if I could difmifs the glorious topic of the Britith navy, without calling your Lordships' attention to other victories

which have been gained by His Majefty's fleets fince last we met in this place, and which, though loft in fome degree in the fuperior refplendency of the memorable first of August, are yet highly important in themselves, and honourable to those who shared in them. For no one who confiders the alarming and dangerous state in which Ireland has fo lately been, or the difficult and delicate circumftances of its prefent fituation, will fail to estimate very highly the fervices rendered by Sir J. B. Warren, and the other officers and men who contributed to the deftruction of the fecond armament destined for that country; though, doubtless, if it had effected a landing, it would have experienced the fate of the first. But, my Lords, it would be both invidious and unjust to select particular objects of praise among our gallant officers and men, who have been enabled to render effential fervices to their country, by having met with enemies to encounter, and victories to gain; affured as we must be, that there are few, if any, among this valuable description of men, who would not, under fimilar circumstances, have contributed equally to their own and their country's glory. I should wish, if poffible, in addressing your Lordships, to avoid any thing like a parade of words, or attempt at declamation; but who can avoid a degree of warmth and enthusiasm on the fubject of our invincible navy - the bulwark of our empire, the fafeguard of our commerce, the ever-watchful guardian of our free and happy fhores -the protection of our allies, the terror of our enemies, and the admiration of the world-Manned by feamen, whom no difficulties can discourage, no dangers can appal; and conducted by officers whose lowest merit is skilful intrepidity in the hour of danger, but who, in their active and laborious profeffions, endure a painful and unceafing anxiety and exertions of mind and body, which no gratitude of their country, no remuneration which the can beftow can ever fufficiently repay?

Your Lordships will forgive me, I am convinced, if in celebrating this pre-eminently triumphant period of their well-earned glories, I am tempted to give way to my feelings beyond the precife limits of my fubject, and to exprefs a hope that the time is not far diftant, when thofe men, to whom their country owes fo much, will never be reduced to a fituation of penuary and want, when their fervices are no longer called for. In introducing this fubject, I have, perhaps, been irregular, and fhall forbear to prefs it but your Lordships will readily agree with me, that no man can fupport the character and appearance of a gentleman on the half pay of a Lieutenant and I am convinced the people of this country, great as they may feel the weight of their burdens, would

moft gladly and chearfully contribute to make the fituation of those men comfortable to whom they know they are indebted in a great measure for the many bleffings they enjoy, and perhaps for the very political existence of their country.

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I come now to confider the confequences which have refulted from the late glorious fucceffes, and efpecially from the victory of the first of Auguft, the immediate effects of which have been great indeed and we may reasonably expect that the remote ones will be ftill more important. The infane and atrocious enterprize of our enemies has received fuch a check as neither the abilities of Buonaparte, or the enthusiasm and desperation of his army will eafily overcome. Cut off from all fupplies by fea, and in a country justly irritated by every feeling of indignation and resentment that can actuate the mind of man, exposed to the continental attacks of an active and defultory enemy, and furrounded by difficulties of every description to impede his farther progrefs, we may fairly prefume he can never fucceed in his avowed object of injuring us in our valuable Eastern poffeffions. But, my Lords, allow me farther to obferve, as I think I may without prefumption, that the just vengeance of Heaven, fo long fufpended, appears at last to have overtaken these destroyers of the human race; and that the gigantic crimes of a whole nation, as well as thofe of each individual, will fooner or later meet with juft retribution. A great and terrible voice appears at laft to have proclaimed to them that the facrilegous profanation of every divine, and the unprincipled contempt of every human law, however they may prosper for a time, enfure in the end the punishment they deferve. Yes, my Lords, the curses, " deep, not loud" of those who live under the rod of the directorial power, the groans of Switzerland, the tears of fo many widows and orphans, have not been heard in vain— Already the torpid fpirit of Europe begins to revive. We have taught them that the Great Nation is not invincible; and that by refiftance to its power the world may yet be faved. Already the Emperor of Ruffia begins to wield the mighty force of his immenfe territory, and joined with his former enemies by a common sense of danger and juft indignation, is preparing to avenge their unprovoked and unprincipled aggreffion; while the Ottoman Porte, the old and firm ally of France, is justly and fuddenly become her most implacable enemy, and has, by herself, been forced to unite with its former foes to punish her perfidy and ingratitude. Already the King of Naples, under the protection of the British arms, refuses to submit any longer to degradation and infult, and ventures to fet the oppreffors of Italy at defiance; while the inferior States appear

to gain courage by his illuftrious example, and their confidence in the fame fupport.

Let us alfo hope, at leaft, that the favourable fymptoms which have manifefted themfelves in other quarters, will lead, at leaft, to a refumption of that energy and fpirit which alone can fave the whole fyftem of Europe, and of civil fociety itself, from the unrelenting grafp of that monster, which has fo long been fuffered with impunity to devour every thing around it; while thofe who are alone able to obftruct its progrefs, have, by their forbearance, encouraged it to proceed with rapid ftrides towards their own deftruction. But the mist is at laft difpelled by our perfevering exertions, and by the triumphs of the British arms. Those unfortunate countries themfelves, which have fo long kiffed the iron rod of defpotifm, under which they groaned, begin to struggle for their deliverance, and loudly to invite the return of order, government, religion, and laws, of which, in the name of Liberty and Equality, they have been fo violently difpoffeffed. While we fhudder with horror on account of the renewed fcenes of flaughter, which muft be the confequence of fuch a ftate of things, let us hope, at leaft, that it will tend, together with our own exertions, to a restoration of that order and that fecurity, for which we have fo long and fo strenuously contended: and that the torrents of blood which have been shed, in refifting the common oppreffors of mankind, will not have flowed in vain.

From our own experience in this country, we have seen what may be effected by braving, instead of yielding to, the ftorm: for when our Minister was obliged to return from Lifle, after having exhaufted every means of conceffion fhort of humiliation, and it became evident to all the world that our enemies seriously entertained the vain hope of reducing us to the miferable ftate into which for many of the nations of Europe had fallen-when they openly manifested their intention of pouring their veteran and victorious legions on the British shores, their vain menaces only served to rouse the dormant spirit of the nation, and all ranks of men flocked by thousands to the standard of their country. Awed and astonished by the sudden appearance of a great nation in arms, and ready to defend every thing justly dear to them, at the hazard of their lives, they wifely defifted from their purpose, and thought it no difgrace to fuffer the proudest menaces, and most infulting boafts of future achievements to evaporate in mere words. They acted wifely, I fay, being fully convinced, that whatever force had effected a landing, would have met inevitable deftruction, and have proved that this country is as little to be conquered by force of arms, as it is to